ISS Daily Summary Report – 12/06/2017

OA-8 Cygnus Release: After yesterday’s unberth and the overnight GPS shadowing (“Photobomb”) Detailed Test Objective (DTO), today SSRMS ground controllers relocated the Cygnus vehicle to the release point and the onboard crew released the vehicle and monitored its departure. Cygnus will be held in that position overnight and then repositioned for release tomorrow. Cygnus arrived at the ISS on the 14th of November carrying supplies, and is now departing with hardware and trash for disposal.

Combustion Integration Rack (CIR) Ignitor Tip R&R: Today the crew removed and replaced the Multi-user Droplet Combustion Apparatus (MDCA) ignitor tip inside CIR. The tip burned out last week during Advanced Combustion Microgravity Experiment (ACME) operations, and science operations have been on hold pending this hardware R&R. The ACME project is a set of five independent studies of gaseous flames to be conducted in the CIR. ACME’s primary and secondary goals are (1) improved fuel efficiency and reduced pollutant production in practical combustion on Earth, and (2) spacecraft fire prevention through innovative research focused on materials flammability.

Lighting Effects: Today a 52S crewmember began a two-week long Sleep Shifted session, by logging into the sleep log application and tracking his daily sleep patterns and wakefulness. The Lighting Effects investigation studies the impact of the change from fluorescent light bulbs to solid-state light-emitting diodes (LEDs) with adjustable intensity and color and aims to determine if the new lights can improve crew circadian rhythms, sleep, and cognitive performance.

Earth Imagery from ISS Target Operations: Using the NIKON camera the crew captured time-lapse images of the United Kingdom and the Nile at night. The Earth Imagery from ISS investigation creates a series of videos, showcasing Earth from space. These videos will be taken with cameras on the International Space Station in 6K hi-resolution, then integrated into videos for screensavers for public enjoyment, exploration, and engagement.

Environmental Health System (EHS) Total Organic Carbon Analyzer (TOCA) Water Recovery System (WRS) Sample Analysis: This morning, the crew analyzed water quality on board using the EHS TOCA system, looking for contaminants in the water.

EHS Microbial Capture Device (MCD) and Coliform Water Sample Analysis: Today, the crew analyzed water samples which were taken on Monday. This analysis procedure is designed to detect microbial growth in the ISS water system.

Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) Helmet Swap: Today the crew removed an EMU helmet which has passed its certified lifetime and replace it with a newly launched helmet. The old helmet will be returned to the ground on SpaceX-13 for refurbishment.